Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1887-01-31
A TRUNK MYSTERY CLEARED UP.
Edward Unger Claims He Killed BOhle
I'm Self.defenSe-His COnfeHaiOHs

Edward Unger made confession to Inspector
ByrneS In New York Saturday night, telling the
whole story OF the murder OF August Bohle. After
Unger was placed In q cell at the TOmbS on Sat
urday the inspector had the trunk in which Bohles
body was shipped TO Baltimore and the sofa on
which the body was placed after the murder in
fingers room, placed In the corridor just outside
the murderers cell door. Then the door was IN
locked. and Unger was told to come out. As the
prisoner advanced into the corridor, Inspector
Byrnes asked SHOW do you feel, Capf"
pretty well, said Unger. Then catching sight
OF the trunk, he shivered and fell on the sofa,
which was red with the blood of his victim. He
recognized the sofa after a while, and realizing
what he had done, tremblingly moved to a settee
.'Now, Cap, when you get ready to tell the truth
Will listen to you, said the inspector.
unger made no reply. He was still overcome
he fell on Bohe's bier The inspector went away,
out was summoned an hour or two later by Unger,
VINO made a confession in the presence Of Sergt
spector Byrnes.
THE NURDERER's CONFESSION.
In his confession Unger says: 81 live at22 Ridge
street. have known August BOhle since NOvem-
Der, 1855. first met him at my lager beer saloon,
on Eldridge street. where he called in answer to
advertisement which had put in the isaatz lei
tung for q partner. We could not agree upon the
price, and subsequently gave up the business at
the above number. l went to live at % Ridge
o1iCCts "A SLOIt tlIIlc d1IerWaTU August CAME 10
live with me. the arrangements being that he was
10 pay 0ne-haf the rent, which was 81. SO month,
and one-third OF the household expenses.
"On the night Of January 20, 1887, after supper,
my son had left the house to take walk. leaving
BOhle and me in the room. We remained con-
verslng and reading until about 81. Bohle was a
very prOfane man, and was swearing about his
hard luck. at that time was kneeling, raking
the stove with poker. He called me a = OF a
hand up 10 Ss
me on the neck With his fist and knocked me Down.
l sprang to my feet and attempted to strike him
with the poker which had in my hand. Bohle
grabbed the poker from my hand and at the same
time he grabbed knife from the table and ran
after me. ran to the bedroom and he followed.
picked up hammer from chest under the bed.
He made another lunge at me with the knife, and
warded 1t off, receiving slight cut in the hand.
then struck him with the hammer. He staggered,
and followed him up and struck him again with
the hammer, the hammer sinking into the skull as
far as the handle. He staggered and fell back on
the sofa dead.
"This occurred about 10 O'Clock in the evening.
Expecting my son home every moment, and to
avoid my son seeing what had occurred, took the
body from the sofa and laid 1t on the floor close by
the wall: l then took cot used by BOhle and
placed 1t on its side against the wall over the
body, and then took some bed clothes and covered
the ends of the cot. My son came home soon after,
and we went to bed together in the bedroom, he
asking before we retired, where is August?' I
told him he had gone out"
DIsPosING OF THE BODY.
The following morning, after his son went to
work, Unger says he bought two yards of rubber
cloth and a saw, and having drank large guam
tty OF whisky. began the work OF cutting up the
body and packing it in BOhle's trunk. He first
severed the bead from the body, then cut the legs
on and then the LETT arm. Finding the legs too
long for the trunk he cut both feet off. Then he
locked and dashed the trunk with rope wrapped
the head in some OF Bohle's clothing, locked his
street ferry, went on the forward part OF the
ferrybOat, leaning over the front railing looking
In the water, and, when the boat got midway In
1runnah clothing
water. assume the paddle wheel must have
struck it," Unger then tells how he had the
trunk conveyed TO Brooklyn the next day, labeled
it John A. Wilson, Baltimore, Md; to be called
for, and had il shipped by express. In cOnclu-
sion he says: 81 did not mean to Kill BOhle. He
was qnarreis ONE man ana oe r.e my hIe
which disposed OF the body was to save myself
and children from disgrace"